Talk to me about compost. What's the difference between letting vegetation rot in your garden and rotting in landfill?

[LittleBella]

I've been faithfully composting for 5 years. Today a friend of mine said it makes no differnce and just encourages slugs, snails and foxes.

Is she right? Am I wasting my time?

I'm not an expert,but isn't it that if you send it to landfill , it won't actually rot properly as it won't be the right conditions ( temp etc) so just adds to the bulk of alandfill, wheras if you compost it , it will actuallty rot into something useful ?

& what is wrong with slugs, snails & foxes?

(Mind you I wish mine didn't encourage rats...)

We use ours in the garden. Even if we just chuck it in the existing flowerbeds, it's still reduced our binbag output per week from 4 to 2 (could get it down to 1 if local council weren't so limited in their recycling).

i spose it saves the petrol of rubbish lorries picking it up?

Plus when you put it in plastic bags it doesn't rot properly

Composting turns it into soil, more or less. Things don't rot properly in landfill.

Do you actually use your compost?

Yes I do occasionally.

OK I'm convinced, I knew I was right. So what do I do about my unwanted slug farm? Is it the compost that's attracting them?

I don't think our heap attracts slugs or snails, though I did have to evict a mouse family the other day.

It is just so lovely, though, turning all that waste into pure nourishment. It is fragrant and sensual when it actually works.

I saved about £10 on compost the other day by spreading my own supply.

aviatrix is right that in landfill the compost rots anaerobically which creates methane. In home composting the rotting is aerobic and produces carbon dioxide which is about 20 times less bad than methane as a greenhouse gas.

Than k you for these scientific explanations, you can find out anything on mumsnet!

So about these slugs: any advice?!

slug pellets?

Oh yes have those. But just wondered if my friend was right and it's because of the compost that they're there. I really have huge numbers of slugs and snails, it honestly is as if I'm farming them, I've never encountered so many in my gardens in the past (where I never composted, being in the dark about it...)

do other people in the area also have them? sounds a bit odd, the slugs/snails in my garden are round the plants they like (my geraniums atm!), I never notice them on the compost - but then it is in those contains black plastic bins so maybe difficult for them to get it. But then my parents are open compost bins, and they don't have problems either.

Slugs and snails like to eat moderatley fresh/living leafs don't they? Not decaying stuff.

Is your heap enclosed? That might help.

Hmmm. No heaps are out in the open. So maybe not the reason for slugs then. Maybe they just like my garden.